Artist Bio:
Having appeared on four Tricky records, Martina Topley-Bird decided to call it quits after 1998's Angels With Dirty Faces and strike out on her own.
For the first time in her musical career, Martina started writing her own material, and her debut CD began to take shape. In 2003, Quixotic was released in the U.K. with critical praise coming from respected publications including NME ("Her voice is still astonishing: husky yet fragile, sweet and yet sustained with murky experience like an angel getting wasted in a Bristol Squat,") MAXIM ("For a solo debut, Quixoticis a classic. If you can't afford this album, steal it") and Independent ("Quixotic is as original and authentic as anything you'll hear this year. This is an astonishing record.")
Thanks in part to this critical acclaim, and just days after its UK commercial release, Quixotic was nominated for a Mercury Prize (UK equivalent of a Grammy nomination) as one of the year's finest albums. Although Quixotic failed to capture the award, it brought a new level of attention to Martina. The songs didn't just capture the same vibe from her Tricky years. Instead, it became clear that the 26-year-old Martina had evolved into a multitalented singer who could effectively tackle many different musical fashions. Perhaps most importantly, for the first time, it showcased her ability as a songwriter and producer.
Although the American underground has always had a love affair with Martina's voice, Quixotic never did make it out domestically. Fortunately, this summer, Palm will release a re-designed and re-sequenced version of the album for America, entitled Anything. Named after the album's most powerful track, which starts the record off and features a combination of sultry vocals, acoustic guitar and warm electronica. The call-and-response chorus, "I don't want anything but you / I don't need anything but you," strikes a chord for the passion that comes through Martina's vocals — she's crying out. This mesmerizing song of longing is the perfect reintroduction to Martina.
Anythingis a journey, traversing from guitar rock to pop, from crisp electronica to dim and affecting ballads and from old time soul to jazz and blues. Anything is full of glorious moments, from the epic sweeping strings and choral arrangements of "I Still Feel;" the abrasive Bassey-like vocals and broken beats of "Too Tough To Die;" to the bluesy, deep-South twang of the whimsical "Lullaby." Tricky makes appearances on "Ragga" and "Ilya," duets that instantly bring you back to the glory days of this couple. "Need One" is a fascinating track because it features a massive chorus and the raw power of Josh Homme and Mark Lanegan of Queens Of The Stone Age. This track is devilishly good radio pop and proves that Martina isn't afraid to drift into the mainstream.
After listening to Anything, one comes to the realization that despite comparisons with both classic and contemporary female vocalists, Martina's voice is very much her own. Anything takes us back to 1994 when we first heard her voice. Back then it was exciting, fresh and new. Today, Martina emerges from a cocoon — reborn. Her evolution as a singer takes us on a new and very personal journey. This is a voice that we never want to be without again.
— Courtesy Calabash Music
